The present invention relates to an in-wheel motor and an in-wheel driving device, and more particularly, to an in-wheel motor and an in-wheel driving device which may be efficiently mounted in a limited internal space of a wheel.
As fossil fuel is gradually exhausted, an electric vehicle to drive a motor using electric energy stored in a battery has been developed instead of a vehicle using fossil fuel such as gasoline or diesel.
The electric vehicle is divided into a pure electric vehicle to drive a motor using only electric energy stored in a rechargeable battery, a solar cell vehicle to drive a motor using a photoelectric cell, a fuel cell vehicle to drive a motor using a fuel cell which uses a hydrogen fuel, and a hybrid vehicle to drive an engine using fossil fuel and drive a motor using electricity.
In general, an in-wheel driving device is a technology used in a vehicle such an electric vehicle, which uses electricity as a power source. The in-wheel driving device directly transmits power to wheels through a motor disposed in two left and right driving wheels or four left/right and front/rear driving wheels, unlike a method for rotationally driving a wheel by transmitting power through an engine, a transmission, and a driving shaft in a gasoline or diesel vehicle.
The related art of the present invention is disclosed in Korean Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2011-0040459 published on Apr. 20, 2011 and titled “Wheel driving device for in-wheel system”.
A conventional in-wheel motor has a cylindrical shape. Accordingly, a circular space is formed between a wheel and the motor.
The in-wheel motor must have such a size as to stably position a brake system and a suspension system in a space formed between the wheel and the in-wheel motor. Therefore, the in-wheel motor has a limitation in increasing an output.
In order to increase the output of the in-wheel motor, the size of the in-wheel motor must be increased. At this time, the size (depth) of the wheel must also be increased. When the size of the wheel is increased, an arm member of the suspension system may easily interfere with the wheel and may not be smoothly rotated. In particular, when the in-wheel motor is applied to a front wheel, the interference between the wheel and the suspension system additionally occurs.